With every hour
by Hanni102
Summary: Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio head off to a trip into the mountains. As one of them becomes the victim of a possibly fatal accident, a time of helpless waiting begins, turning the excursion into pure horror.


The sound of hooves on stone was carried away by the hot air. It reflected from the buildings by the street and multiplied, resulting in a cascade of echoes. It was late summer and the two Montagues were riding to meet their friend. They had decided to go on a trip to the mountains together. It took barely a few hours to get there and the ice cold air and shadow-filled forests up there always rewarded their journey. Down in Verona the sun was shining brightly and their horses were sluggish and irritated by the heat.

They weren't their own horses of course, Romeo borrowed his from his father and Benvolio's belonged to lady Montague. Horses were expensive, but their family could afford them thanks to their role in the trade of valuable gemstones. Benvolio was always a bit nervous when riding the animal. The small amount of money his parents had left him would have never sufficed for such a purchase.

They arrived at the gate minutes before noon. Strangely, Mercutio was there already, his horse prancing in anticipation and impatience. He was chatting with one of the guards- a young man who looked like he had just started his military career. The young one was laughing while Mercutio was smiling, eyes squinted. He shook his head and while doing this noticed his friends. He waved at them and turned the horse which obeyed angrily. It was well known amongst the stable boys for its difficult character and temperament.

-I think my horse hates me more than my father used to- the black-haired laughed as Ben and Romeo had approached. The noise angered the animal even more and it tried to bite the rider's leg.

-Fuck off- Mercutio hissed and pulled the reins roughly. The horse gave up its attempts and shook its head.

-Let's go before he eats you alive- Romeo laughed quietly and they rode out of the gate. Mercutio's horse tried to bite Romeo's but was pulled back by its owner.

They passed a few buildings belonging to the city wall and then entered the rural area. While the people in the city could spend their days inside hiding from the heat, it was not so for the peasants working on the fields. They all went looking for their crops and plucked weeds. Normally they would have to carry heavy buckets to water their fields, but the rain last night freed them from this task. Down in the valley were growing all kinds of grains, a bit more upwards began the wine crops. There was not a single tree there and the sun burnt mercilessly. The scream of the cicadas filled the windstill air.

After riding in silence for about an hour, passing the fields and a few village houses, they came on a smaller path that parted from the main road, leading towards the mountains. It was surrounded by bushes of all kinds, making it too narrow for the three of them and so they had to ride one after another. Romeo went first- he didn't notice when Mercutio, who was riding after him, slowed down and causing a gap to grow between them

-Hey, Ben- Mercutio broke the silence. Even though Benvolio was right after him, he had to raise his voice to be heard.

-Huh?- the addressed one answered, lost in thoughts.

-What did you tell your uncle?- Mercutio asked and looked at Ben over his shoulder.

-We are coming back in three days before noon- the blond said. Lord Montague always wanted him to watch over Romeo as if he were a small boy, even though he was just two years older than him. It was because of Benvolio's responsible and serious way of being that he was the most reliable of the three.

They entered the woods and a cool breeze refreshed them. The path became wider again and Mercutio started to catch up with Romeo, followed by Benvolio.

Another two hours passed before they came to their usual spot. It was a small clearing, partly covered in grass, with rocky ground on the north rim. Not far away was a tiny stream that provided them with water. They had discovered this place a few years earlier when they rode out together for the first time. Since then they had spent countless summer days there sleeping, riding, climbing and forgetting about everything and everyone else.

Mercutio dismounted first and jumped away immediately, as his horse had tried to bite again. He clicked his tongue and quickly tied the reins to a low hanging branch.

-You better leave your horses over there- he pointed towards the other side of the clearing -I don't trust this animal-

-No, don't worry, I think it only wants to kill you- Benvolio laughed and tied his horse to a branch a few meters away. Mercutio shrugged and watched Romeo do the same.

-Romeo, why are you so silent? You are either in love or seriously ill and if any of those cases is true, we would both be better off to stay away from you- Mercutio grinned. They were walking towards the rocky part of the clearing.

-Why would you want to stay away from me if I was in love? It hardly is contagious and if it were so, you maybe should come here and try your hardest to get infected- Romeo formed his lips to a kiss.

-God forbid, no!- Mercutio crossed himself. -So you _are_ in love?-

-No-

-He's ill then!- Ben exclaimed and Mercutio nodded silently with a serious expression on his face.

-Fuck off, both of you- Romeo said, hiding a smile.

-That's not something a person full of love would say. What did you want to infect us with again?- Bemvolio asked. Romeo jumped towards him and pushed him. Benvolio returned the push and so a small fight developed.

Mercutio laughed and sat down on one of the rocks. It was so obvious that Benvolio was letting his younger cousin win that Mercutio had to hide a smile. The Montagues rolled around on the ground in a rough fight. They moved closer and closer towards the bushes growing nearby without noticing it.

Suddenly Mercutio recognized a movement next to them. He jerked up from the rock and started running in their direction.

-Ben! Get up! Move away!- he screamed sharply at the same moment, but it was too late.

Benvolio had been thrown to the ground by Romeo. The impact of the attack pushed the air out of his chest. He gasped for air and at the same moment felt a stinging pain in his left shoulder, right below his neck

Everything felt slower from that moment on.

He saw Mercutio reaching them and pushing Romeo aside. The stinging turned into a numb and pulsating pain that started spreading down his shoulder. Benvolio felt the rush of adrenaline that had come over him.

-Oh no, please no...- his friend fell onto his knees besides him, eyes wide open with shock. Instead of meeting Benvolio's, they looked at the place where the pain was. Not sure if he was hallucinating or not, Ben noticed that they were glassy.

-Go after it! I couldn't see what it was- Mercutio shouted at Romeo, who was standing still in shock. He jumped up and ran away into the bushes.

Benvolio tried to say something, only to notice that his lips had gotten numb. Panic began to take over him and he was unable to move.

-No, don't, please try to relax, don't tense up like this, please!- Mercutio said in a whiny voice. -You will be fine, just please relax, please... the venom will... it won't spread as much if you relax...- he tried to form a sentence but knew he was only making it worse by mentioning the toxin.

It was for sure now that he was crying.

Ben was breathing quickly and tried to remember the last time he was this scared. He had never been bitten by a snake before, but he saw a man die shortly after the venom had reached his heart. He began to wonder how long it would take in his case. He tried his best to focus on Mercutio's hand which the latter had placed under his head just enough to shield it from the rocky ground without moving it. They both knew perfectly that movement could be fatal in the situation he was in.

-Romeo will be back in a moment... he will tell us what bit you... I'm sure it wasn't even strong enough to kill a cat...- Mercutio tried his best to calm his friend and himself. The painful racing of Benvolio's heart made it hard for him to believe his friend.

 _Can it already be dusk?_ Benvolio wondered calmly.


End file.
